The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1887-08-21
HOW A LIFE WAS BLASTED.
The Recluse OF Chestnut Ridge Tells
How His Hair was Silyered
in Night.
He Failed to Send an Important Mes
sage and Railroad Horror
Resulted.
Car. Canncllsuili. cn,lrie,

Aug. 13th.-About half way mp the
slope of Chestnut ridge, four or five
miles from Uniontown and only q
few steps Off the line of the old Ma
tional road, little plain board cabin
stands. Il isn't much bigger than
s geod-sized dog kennel and 1t is set
so far back among the rocks and
trees that it cannot be seen more
than one hundred yards away But
there is cleanly, home-like air
about the place that speaks as pos
itively as words of the refinement of
the owner. The owner himself is
somewhat Of a mystery to the major
| ity of the supplemented mountain
folk who live in this vicinity, but to
the select few who enjoy his conf
dence he is q friend whose friend
ship is as solid as the rocks on
which his little home is built. A
few days ago when j was rambling
over the mountains | stumbled all
unexpectedly upon the secluded
dwelling. The occupant was sitting
in home made hammock just out
side the door adjusting a fish line to
a pretty, jointed rod. A daily paper
| lay on the ground at his feet. He
is young man, not more than thir.
ty years Of age, but his hair and
mustache were as white as silver,
and there was an expression of sad
ness on his face which seemed to be
habitual. His clothing was old and
worn, but it was we'll kept and neat
for all that, and it was worn with a
grace that was not born in the
mountain districts.
STORY OF HIS LIFE.
He welcomed his visitor as heart
lily rs though he had known him for
years, and his invitation to take a
seat and rest almost amounted to a
command. During the course of the
two hours conversation which fol-
lowed, he told the sad story of his
life and the combination of circum-
stances which led him to leave the
habitations of men and go away in
to the mountain by himself. 81
used to live in Pittsburg," he said,
'but | haven't seen anybody from
there for five years. 1t doesn't make
any difference what my name is. |
have relatives living and it is better
they should not know where ] am.
You want to know what made my
hair so gray and why / am living
here? Well, | don't mind telling
you, although I've been trying for
ten years or more to forget it all. I
was raised and educated in Pitts
burg. | learned telegraphy in the
Western Union office, and when not
yet twenty years of age was put in
charge of an office ON a railroad in
Ohio. 1t doesn't make any differ
ence what office it was or what road
it was on, it was an office and a
rather important one at that
hadn't been in my new position more
than six weeks when | fell desper-
ately in love with a Girl who lived
only a block from 1hy office The
attachment was mutual, and when
six weeks had heightened into six
months we were engaged. One night
it was in February, 1871 had
been
TO SEE MY SWEETHEART
and about midnight was sitting in
my office thinking of the coming
wedding, and feeling as happy as
any young man with bright prospects
ahead of him could feel, when WORD
came over the wires that q specia
freight was coming over the mair
track westward. 1t was still &c
miles away, and after recording the
fact that it was coming, my thoughts
required to the little girl down The
street. Ten minutes later the con
ductor of the eastbound express
came in for orders. All right, Bill,
l said, as l glanced up and saw him
9 and a minute later he was on his
train speeding away at the rate o
a 25-mile-an-hour gait. The real
! lights were scarcely out of sigh
, when | happened to look at my in
strument and bit of paper, bu
that bit of paper was enough. Their
in plain letters on it, were the words
> / had written not quarter Of hou
before, Extra freight, tell Bill t.
sidetrack,' you know because tn,
! switches were not ong enough fol
: freights. My hair fairly stood OF
: end. There was the freight coming
: on with full steam, with the express
: going to meet it at the rate of p
miles an hour l fell back in m,
!, chair, and the cold perspiratioi
broke out all over me. Then
grasped the key to my instrumen
and called in succession all the of
fees intervening between the TIVE
t trains. They were all day office!
and the operators had gone home
) hours before. The clicking of tn,
instrument sounded, to my
: EXCITED IMAGINATION,
as loud as the discharge of cannons
For five minutes l called in the DIES
perate hope that some one would
hear me in time to stop the express
But it was no use. Every office wa
,, closed. l dropped the key and raj
down stairs and out onto the track
1 think l had wild hope that
! could overtake the express, but al
soon as | got into the open air
. realized the folly of any such at
tempt, and with a feeling of th,
most utter despair l returned to th
Office and dropped into the chair
But | couldn't sit still. The instru
ment ON the desk seemed sitting.
walked out ON the track again an,
walked back and forth along tn
cross-ti ties waiting for the result.
y / knew it must come and | instinct
lively stayed within hearing distanc
of the instrument. 1t seemed Al
age, but in reality it wasn't NOR
than half an hour, till the sounde
: clicked and / ran up stairs, hopin
) almost beyond hope that some luck.
circumstance had averted a disaster
: / was so nervous that l could scarce
j ly hold the key to answer The
4 l laid back and waited as the instru
q ment clicked what seemed to me t
o be my death sentence: Express an